The Ring Hunt
by TinyDancer14
Summary: At twenty-four years old, there was a plethora of things Troy Bolton knew. With that, there was also a small excess of things he didn't know. At the top of the list? He didn't know how to propose to his girlfriend.


**Hey guys! So, I know that I have two in-progress stories and one that's half-dead ("Without A Trace," anyone?), but I wrote this oneshot last night after having this really strange dream about Zac and Vanessa hahaha. I changed it to Troy and Gabriella and viola! "The Ring Hunt" was born! It's just a oneshot, so please don't ask me to update hahaha. So many people have done that and it's not really necessary.**

**I don't own the characters, but I did come up with the story line. Please review and please enjoy!**

* * *

The Ring Hunt

At twenty-four years old, there was a plethora of things that Troy Bolton knew.

He knew that no matter how many times he had to take extra astronomy classes in college just so he could pass, he would never understand the Big Bang Theory.

He knew that after going to college in the wondrous state of California and experiencing everything it had to offer, there was no way he would be returning to New Mexico.

He knew that his best friend Chad Danforth would never grow up, his mother would never stop pestering him about when she could expect her first grandchild, and never _ever_ to upset Sharpay Evans.

But most importantly, he knew that he was overwhelmingly in love with his girlfriend, Gabriella Montez.

Gabriella had sparked something inside of Troy that no one, not even his parents, had ever seen before. The love and connection between the two was almost indescribable. They depended on each other, they did everything they could to please each other, and there was no doubt that they made each other unfathomably happy. They were an inseparable pair; you couldn't find Gabriella without Troy and wherever you'd find Troy, Gabriella would be nearby. Relatives and friends were shocked that the indissoluble duo had made it through the pressures of a long-term relationship, but those who were close to them knew that there was no chance the two would have ever divided.

Now, three years prior to their graduation of college, Troy and Gabriella lived in Los Angeles, the former being recruited by the Lakers to play after just one game at UC Berkeley and the latter a lawyer with the law firm Houghton and Miller. They were together, they were happy, and they were in love. Nothing stood in their way, nothing was slowing them down. Except lately, Troy had been thinking nonstop about their future together. After all, Zeke Baylor and Sharpay Evans had been married for almost two years now and Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie were marrying in just a couple of weeks. Troy knew that if he waited any longer, eventually Gabriella would get fed up with their lack of progress.

He knew he had to propose. And that scared the shit out of him.

"Dude, we better make this fast," Chad Danforth warned his best friend as they pulled open the door of Tiffany & Co. "I think the paparazzi followed us here and you know they'll have a field day if they find you ring shopping."

"I don't give a shit what the paparazzi think," Troy answered honestly, stepping over the threshold of the store and into the air conditioning, a welcoming gesture from the hot sun and humidity of L.A. "I've put this off long enough."

Chad chuckled, shaking his head as Troy began to browse the rows and rows of jewelry. "I can't believe you, man. How can you, of all people, be nervous right now? Given the way you acted around Gabriella in high school- and the way you act around her now- I figured you'd be the last one to worry about proposing."

"Are you kidding?" Troy asked, turning to give his friend a look of fear. "I'm terrified."

A petite redhead woman approached the two, a winning smile on her face. "Good afternoon! Welcome to Tiffany's. May I help you in any way today, gentlemen?"

Chad clapped his friend on the shoulder. "My little Troy is looking for an engagement ring today."

"Would you knock it off?" Troy hissed and then turned and smiled at the woman. "Yeah, see my girlfriend and I have known each other since we were sixteen and I need something really special."

"Aw, high school sweethearts, were you?" She asked and Troy nodded. "That's beautiful. We actually have a ring over here called the 'sweetheart.' Let me show it to you."

She walked behind an illuminated glass case and produced a heart-shaped diamond encrusted in a silver band. The ring was incredibly plain and hardly what Troy had in mind. Chad's eyes lit up. "May I?"

"Of course."

He snatched the ring from the woman's hand and slipped it onto his pinky finger. "What do you think?"

"It's… boring." Troy stated truthfully. "I kind of expected something a little more… interesting. A little more sparkly. A little more-"

"Sharpay-like?" Chad asked, yanking the ring off and returning it to its glass case. "You might think it's boring, but it's eleven thousand dollars. _Someone_ thinks it's worth something."

"Eleven thousand dollars?" Troy shouted and the redhead took a step back. "Are you crazy?"

"Well, sir, you did just pick up one of the rarest diamonds we have and the cut is actually a bit-"

"Yeah, I think I'll just look for myself, thanks," Troy shook his head, warding off any other comments from the salesclerk as he and Chad wandered away.

"And this is why I did not shop here for Taylor's engagement ring," Chad informed his best friend. "Because the sales people are pushy and everything costs more than my life."

Troy shrugged. "Honestly, I don't care what I have to pay as long as it's worth it. But that ring? It wasn't any bigger than my pinky nail!"

"Well then, I guess you just need to figure out what _is_ worth it," Chad suggested. "What shape of diamond do you want? Round, princess, Lucida, emerald, oval, pear, marquise, cushion, or heart?"

Troy stared at his best friend as if he had been dropped from another planet. "How in hell should I know?"

"You should've brought a picture of Gabriella's finger."

"… Because?"

"Because then you could envision what looks good on her," Chad stated in an obvious tone. "Which one do you think would look best?"

"Well… Definitely not heart-shaped, because they look cheap." Troy stated.

"But _aren't_ cheap." Chad so helpfully pointed out.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Troy scowled. "Let me see a marquise and a Lucida. I don't even know what those are."

"The marquise is a diamond-shaped diamond," Chad read from the pamphlet he was holding. "And the Lucida is like a square, basically."

"The marquise is kind of ugly," Troy frowned. "But I like this Lucida three-stone one. Isn't this one cool?"

"Kind of," Chad squinted. "I don't know if I like the whole octagonal shape of the other two stones, though."

"Yeah, that's kind of weird," Troy hesitated before putting it back. "I'll put it in the 'maybe' category. I don't know; I just haven't had that _feeling_, you know? I just want to be able to look at the ring and know that it's the one for her. You know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah," Chad agreed. "But you'll find it. It's gotta be in here somewhere. If not, there's a Kay Jewelers down the street."

Troy smirked. "Good to know. But I think I'll-"

Just then, Troy's azure eyes landed on a ring just a few rows away. He stepped slowly closer to get a better view of what he was seeing and immediately he knew. It was a ring of platinum with a diamond encrusted band, just like he imagined. There were three oval-shaped diamonds, the two outer diamonds just slightly smaller than the large center diamond they surrounded. The color and clarity of the diamonds were perfectly matched to make an exquisite trio, the cut perfect for nearly anyone. It was in that moment that Troy knew. He finally found the perfect ring for his perfect girl.

"Can I see that one, please?" He asked the woman behind the counter and she eagerly nodded, sliding back the protective glass to lift the perfect ring to the surface. Troy carefully reached out and took the ring into his hands, turning it over and over before deciding that this was the one. "Chad… This is perfect."

"Let me see," His best friend demanded. But instead of reaching for the ring, he reached for the price tag instead. "Troy, are you out of your mind? It's nine thousand, five hundred dollars!"

But Troy shook his head. "I don't care. Chad, some things in life are more important than money. Haven't you learned that by now? How much did you spend on Taylor's engagement ring?"

"A little over six thousand dollars," He admitted. "Which I am _not_ proud of."

"But didn't it make Taylor's day? Wasn't she absolutely ecstatic?" Troy asked and Chad nodded in defeat. "Exactly. That's all that matters."

To the salesclerk, he grinned. "I'll take it."

A little while later, with his purchase in tow, Troy and Chad were on their way to the parking lot when the former began to panic. "Oh my God! What did I just do? I bought her a ring! Now I have to propose!"

"Yes Troy, that's usually what follows in the sequence of events."

"I don't know how to propose!" He turned to Chad. "What the hell do I do?"

"It's fairly easy," Chad chuckled. "You kneel, you ask, she says yes, you all live happily ever after."

"I can't do this," Troy muttered. "There's no way I can do this."

"Yes you can! You're Troy Bolton," Chad assured him. "Look, it isn't that difficult. If you're overly nervous, you could just do it casually."

Troy eyed him. "Like how?"

"Like… When she's washing dishes tonight. Or doing laundry. Or making the bed…" Chad suggested before his eyes lit up with another brilliant idea. "Or after sex!"

Troy glared at him. "Or not. How about a better idea? How did you propose to Taylor?"

"I got creative," Chad grinned. "I brought her to her favorite restaurant and I had the head chef make a fake menu with all of her favorite foods on it to make it impossible for her to decide. So while she was freaking out over what to have for dinner, I was like, 'Maybe this will be an easier decision' and I got up, turned the menu over and got down on one knee beside her. The back of the menu read, 'Will you marry me?' and, of course, I had the ring."

"Oh God," Troy gagged. "And you guys said _I_ was the girl!"

"Hey!" Chad glared at him. "It worked and it was awesome. You're just jealous you can't come up with anything better."

"I can't," Troy frowned. "I really can't."

"Here, you know what? I'm your best friend, I've known you since pre-school, and I'm going to help you out." Chad stopped walking and motioned for Troy to do the same. "You think I'm kidding, Bolton? Get the ring."

"Why?"

"Just do it," Chad ordered. "Okay, I'm going to be Gabriella, you be you. Propose to me like you would Gabriella."

Troy gave his best, 'Are you fucking serious?' face and Chad frowned. "Just do it, Bolton! Swear to God, it'll help."

His best friend groaned and took the small velvet box out of the Tiffany's bag. "Okay… Um, Gabriella-"

"Yes Troy?" Chad said in the highest voice he could manage, throwing in a girlish giggle for good measure.

Troy stared at him. "She doesn't even sound like that!"

"Just go with it," Chad hissed before returning to his girly voice. "What were you saying, babe?"

"I uh… I was kind of wondering… I wanted to ask you…" Troy trailed off, standing from his knelt position. "This is way too weird for me!"

"What was that? You wanted to ask me to marry you? Oh, well this is all so unexpected… but YES!" Chad shrieked. "Oh, we'll have the perfect little life, Troy! You and me and our eight kids-"

"Okay, first of all, stop talking like that," Troy told him, yanking the car door open and throwing himself inside. "Second, we are _not_ having eight kids."

Chad chuckled. "You're going to _suck_ at this proposal thing."

Troy frowned. "I know."

For all of the things twenty-four-year-old Troy Bolton knew, there was an equal plethora of things he _didn't_ know.

He didn't know how to speak any other language than English, which made traveling abroad with his basketball team much more difficult than it should have been.

He didn't know how to keep his mother happy with the fact that there was no way he would be returning to New Mexico after attending college in California.

He didn't know what to expect when Sharpay Evans got mad at him, how to placate her when she was angry, or how to keep it from happening again.

But most importantly, he didn't know how to propose to his girlfriend.

* * *

Gabriella Montez lived for the three Ls: law, love, and lemon meringue pie.

The first two were self-explanatory; the last one was a bit of a long story. But the first and the last could be stripped from her forever and she wouldn't mind, as long as she had the love of her life. Words could not even express how much she loved Troy Bolton and how grateful she was that she agreed to go to the Teen Party at the lodge in Colorado all those years ago. She loved him and she loved their life together. They lived in a small condo just outside L.A. and they were happy. Did it bother her that her friends were all married and having children by this point in their lives? No, not exactly…

Okay, maybe a little.

Every time she believed their relationship was moving forward, every time she believed Troy was going to propose to her, something else happened and the moment was lost. Yes, it frustrated her to no end. Yes, she wanted to marry Troy more than anything in the world. Yes, she was about ready to propose to him at this point. But still, she figured someday he would make the move. Probably. Possibly. Maybe. Okay, so she didn't actually know. Because if he really wanted to marry her, he would've done it by now… right?

She didn't know. And that scared the shit out of her.

"Troy? I'm home," Gabriella called out into the darkness of their home, shutting and locking the door behind her. She kicked off her shoes and began to glance around the emptiness of the condo, looking any and everywhere for her boyfriend. "Troy?"

A muffled sound from their bedroom was heard and Gabriella ascended the stairs, walking into the room and immediately donning a look of confusion. "Um, hello?"

Troy glanced up from the two suitcases he was packing and smiled. "Hey babe. I didn't hear you get in."

"Yeah, I just got home," She replied warily. "What are you… doing?"

"Packing," Troy stated simply. "What have you got planned for this weekend?"

"Nothing really," Gabriella shrugged. "But it's only Tuesday. That could change."

Troy grinned. "And it's about to. Come help me pack. We have a six o'clock flight tomorrow morning to Honolulu."

"Ooh, what for?" Gabriella squealed and then her eyes widened. "Am I forgetting an anniversary or something?"

Troy chuckled, moving towards her and encircling his arms around her waist. "No. We just deserve a vacation."

"I'm all for that," She matched his grin, reaching up to place a kiss on his lips. "I love when you surprise me with random romantic things."

"Me too," Troy wiggled his eyebrows. "Trust me; benefits are reaped on my behalf as well."

She giggled. "Thinking dirty again? What a shocker."

"Do you think I can help being dirty-minded with a girlfriend who looks like this?" He asked, turning her body away from him and towards the mirror so they were both staring at her.

She frowned. "I have bags under my eyes."

"No, you don't."

"My hair's frizzy."

"No, it's not."

"My pores are huge."

"No, they're not."

She made eye contact with him through the mirror. "Stop pretending I'm perfect."

"To me," He kissed her neck. "You are."

Despite the mile-long grin on her face, Gabriella turned around in his arms to ask, "You sure you don't want one of those tall, blonde cheerleaders who are always hanging on you at games?"

Instead of answering her directly, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, squashing any insecurities that she may have had. There was no need to think of either one of them with another person, especially considering what Troy had planned for their long weekend of romance. After a lot of thinking, he had finally come up with the perfect plan to propose to Gabriella in a new and unique way. He only hoped she wouldn't figure it out ahead of time. Pulling back and panting heavily, he whispered. "Baby, I love you. And nothing in the universe would make me want to leave you."

_Then what in the universe_, she wondered, _would make you want to propose to me?_

"Good," She smiled cheekily, keeping her thoughts away from his mind-reading abilities. "Because I'm certainly not going anywhere. Except to bed. Can we pack later?"

"Later as in when?" Troy questioned. "We're leaving at six tomorrow morning."

"But I'm exhausted," She admitted. "Honestly, I can barely keep my eyes open."

"I can finish packing for you," Troy suggested, a sly grin on his face as he watched Gabriella head off to the adjoining bathroom for a shower. "But I'm just going to pack everything I think you should wear… which is nothing."

Gabriella scoffed but burst into a fit of giggles from the bathroom. "Fine. But if we go anywhere, like out to dinner or something, make sure you pack me at _least_ a bra and underwear. I don't want to seem risqué."

Troy grinned. "Deal."

* * *

"I think," Troy panted, completely out of breath as he turned to look at his girlfriend. "I think we beat them."

Gabriella fought to catch her breath. "Can we ever go somewhere where the paparazzi don't find you? Because I don't think this life is going to work for me."

Troy chuckled, taking her hand and beginning to stroll down the empty beach. "Me either, babe. I'll work on it."

The moment they'd landed in Hawaii a couple of days earlier, Gabriella had called her mother and friends to let her know of their whereabouts. Taylor and Sharpay immediately filled Gabriella's head with all sorts of scenarios in which Troy would propose and Gabriella immediately got her hopes up. Maybe this vacation was Troy's way of finding a perfect situation to propose to her in. Every time he looked at her, butterflies grew in her stomach, her heart palpitated, and her palms became sweaty, just as they had when they first began dating. She couldn't wait for the moment to arrive.

Now, they were ambling hand in hand down an empty, private beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore and inhaling the salty sea air. Gabriella could not think of a time where she had been happier. "Hawaii has got to be the most amazing place on Earth."

Troy grinned. "I would have to agree. Where else can you get this amazing serenity, you know? Everything is so calm and peaceful."

"I know," Gabriella inhaled deeply. "It's perfect and it's so beautiful out here."

"And this is how I know everything in my life is absolutely perfect," Troy decided, Gabriella glancing up at him as he stopped walking to gaze into her eyes. "I'm in one of the most amazing places in the world and I'm with the most amazing girl."

Gabriella grinned and her eyes widened. This was it. This was the most defining moment in their relationship. Troy was going to propose to her after all these years! She took a deep breath, inhaling slowly, exhaling slowly, as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come. "You're the amazing one, Troy."

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you all day," He began and Gabriella's breathing hitched.

"What is it?"

"Would you…" He trailed off, grinning slyly at her. "Would you rather have room service tonight or go out to dinner?"

Gabriella's face fell but she tried not to show her disappointment. "We should go out to dinner. We haven't done that yet."

"Okay, sounds good to me," Troy agreed and they continued walking. He could sense her disappointment and he felt bad that he had purposely set her up, but he knew it was all a part of his plan. "Somewhere fancy, maybe?"

"Sure," Gabriella smiled half-heartedly. "Whatever you want."

They ended up circling around and heading back to the hotel, Troy returning to make reservations and Gabriella wanting to dress and ready herself for the evening. While she was showering, Troy took the opportunity to utilize the in-suite computer, printing off the plan for tomorrow and quickly tucking it into his suitcase beside the engagement ring. Once they were both ready for their dinner, they headed into town towards one of the upscale restaurants on the water. They were seated and handed two menus before their waiter left them to be alone and Troy reached across the intimate seating to intertwine their fingers.

"So, did you have a good day?"

Gabriella grinned, despite her slight disappointment. "Absolutely. I had a great day. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, beautiful," He smiled charmingly. "I had a great day, too. Every day I spend with you is great because words cannot even express how amazing you are. In fact…"

Troy stood and got down on one knee before her and Gabriella had to look away to keep the tears in her eyes from falling. Forget what happened this afternoon; they could laugh about it later. Now, it was finally happening. Of course he didn't propose to her earlier in the day; he wanted a romantic dinner over which to do it. Gabriella blinked back her tears and drew in a breath, but when she glanced back down at Troy, he didn't have a sparkly engagement ring in his hand. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her.

"Troy?" She questioned. "What's going on?"

Troy stood. "Sorry, my shoe was untied. What were we talking about, again?"

Her excited smile faded into an unmistakable frown. "Nothing."

After dinner had been eaten and cleared away, Troy and Gabriella returned to their hotel, where they changed into nightclothes and lazed together on a lounge chair on their balcony. The sky was crystal clear, a deep, dark purple at the horizon of the ocean that faded into a jet black as far north as they could see. Twinkling stars dotted the black palate, forming constellations Troy knew Gabriella knew the names of. It was a beautiful sight; one they couldn't see often in the haze and congestion of the city of L.A. Gabriella sighed complacently from her position nearly on top of Troy and he grinned.

"A little happy, Miss Montez?" He asked and she giggled.

"How could I not be?" She asked him. "This place is amazing. Look at all of the stars… They're incredible."

"They are," He tightened his grip on her and matched her sigh. "The only one I can make out is the Big Dipper, because it looks like a saucepan."

Gabriella giggled. "And you would know that, because you only think of two things: sex and food."

Troy chuckled and nudged her playfully. "Not completely true. Sometimes I think about you."

"Only sometimes?" She questioned and he shook his head.

"All the time," He grew serious and Gabriella wondered if now would be the time he would ask. Maybe he wanted a casual moment to do it in to break the hype. Maybe he didn't want to be traditional and ask on one knee in a fancy restaurant. Maybe he wanted the simplicity of the moment they were in right here, right now. She turned over so she was looking him straight in the eye and he smiled.

"Baby, would you do me the honor…" He began and she held her breath, pleading for the end of the sentence. "Of showing me Orion's Belt? I've always wanted to see that one."

Oh, if looks could kill…

He was evil and he knew it.

"Sure," Gabriella flopped back down to her position and pointed into the sky. "See those three really big and flashing stars that are all in a diagonal line?"

"Yeah."

"That's it. That's Orion's Belt," Gabriella sighed.

_Sharpay, Taylor? You were wrong_.

* * *

The morning sun filtered through the curtains of the hotel room as the sounds of people waking up and hitting the beach began to reach her ears. Gabriella was too cozy and too nestled in her cocoon of sheets and comforter to move. She reached over to snuggle up with her boyfriend… and instead was met with the cold sheets of the empty side of the bed beside her. Her eyes snapped open and she squinted in the immediate light, but Troy was nowhere to be found. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and the beautiful brown pools settled upon a sheet of paper lying on Troy's pillow. Grasping it, she read it slowly, not believing what she was reading.

_Gabriella,_

_Morning beautiful! I know you're probably confused beyond belief right now, but don't worry. Everything will make sense and fall into place eventually. First, get dressed and have something for breakfast. Wear something simple- jean shorts and a tank top will do. Trust me, this will make sense later. After breakfast, head to the first place on the treasure map on the back of this letter. They're expecting you, babe, so don't be late! Further instructions will be given to you when you get there. I love you!_

_- Troy_

"What the hell?" She whispered to herself. "Troy, what do you have in store for me?"

She did as she was told, dressing in a white tank top and a simple pair of cutoff jean shorts as she headed to the lobby of the hotel for breakfast. Once she finished, she returned to her room to brush her teeth, wash her face, and do her makeup before glancing at the treasure map that Troy had made her. The luau shop was the first place that she was supposed to go and she set out on her adventure. Finally, she came to the store where all sorts of Hawaiian garb were sold. She stepped into the air conditioning of the shop and was immediately greeted by a congenial Hawaiian woman.

"You must be Gabriella Montez, yes?" She asked and Gabriella nodded. "Oh, hello honey! Welcome to my shop and my island! I'm Ailani Kahakuhale, but you can call me Lani."

"Okay," She smiled politely. "Lani, what do you know about what my boyfriend has in store for me today?"

Lani bit her lip. "Oh honey and I do wish I could tell you. But Troy made me promise not to let you in on it. But it's okay! We're going to dress you up so you're ready to see him by the end of the day."

"Dress me up in what?" Gabriella questioned and Lani grinned.

"Come this way, child," She beckoned. "We're going to get you truly island-ready."

Gabriella followed her into the depths of the store and watched as Lani chose a deep blue flowered dress, homemade lei, and a flower clip for her hair. "Here you go! Put this on."

She did as she was told, and slipped the blue material on top of her tank top and shorts. Lani pinned back a section of her hair with the flower clip and draped the lei around her neck. "Now, you look like a true Hawaiian princess."

"Thank you," Gabriella giggled slightly. "So what's next?"

Lani handed her another note from Troy and an extra lei. "Bring this to Billy when you get to the smoothie shop."

_Gabriella,_

_Are you beginning to figure out what's going on? Maybe you are, maybe you're still in the dark. By now, you're dressed in your Hawaiian garb and I'm sure you look absolutely stunning. Lani's a sweetheart, isn't she? So what's next? Head to the second place on the treasure map and Billy will be there waiting for you. Hand him the lei Lani gave you and he'll give you your next clue and the next letter from me. I'll see you soon!_

_Love,_

_Troy_

Gabriella shook her head in disbelief. "Lani, how do I get to the smoothie shop?"

She set off with the directions that Lani gave her, gathering her skirt in her hands to avoid getting it full of sand, and immediately set eyes on a beautiful outdoor smoothie bar and restaurant. A bunch of people were gathered at the bar, drinking down colorful smoothies, or at the outdoor tables, eating the scrumptious meals that were prepared for them. Gabriella's stomach growled and she realized that not only was it reaching lunch time, but she had only had a small breakfast and could use a meal right about now. After a moment, a man approached her, a big smile on his face.

"Hi," Gabriella called out, lifting the lei. "Are you Billy? Because this is for you."

"Ah, yes I am," Billy grinned, taking the lei from Gabriella and inhaling the sweet scent of flowers. "Lani always makes the best ones."

Gabriella nodded, motioning to shake his hand. "I'm-"

"Oh, I know who you are. Miss Gabriella Montez, welcome to the island," Billy smiled in greeting. "Mr. Bolton has a lot in store for you today. But before I give you the next clue, come with me. Come eat something for lunch. You're hungry, no?"

She nodded eagerly. "Starving."

"Perfect! I'll have my cooks prepare something authentic, something wonderful for you." Billy promised as he led her to a table nearby.

As Gabriella ate the lunch that was so thoughtfully prepared, she tried to figure out what would possibly be Troy's intention with this little "treasure hunt." Where was he leading her and for what? Would she ever end up meeting him by the time this was over? She didn't know and it _killed_ her that she couldn't figure it out. Upon the completion of the meal, Billy brought her a receipt and another letter from Troy before he began to walk away. Gabriella called him back. "Wait, don't I have to pay?"

Billy smiled widely and shook his head. "It's already taken care of."

_Gabriella,_

_What about now? Have you figured it out now? I guess my clues weren't exactly revealing. I hope your lunch was delicious- Billy always makes the greatest food for the greatest people. There's only two more stops from here on out, so you're halfway there. Next, you need to go down the street, towards the ocean, to a little hut called KeyTopia. The man behind the counter will most likely know who you are, but just explain that you need the key that I left there this morning. Don't worry about what the key's for… You'll figure that out soon enough._

_Love,_

_Troy_

"Hi," Gabriella greeted the man behind the counter the instant she stepped into KeyTopia. "My name's Gabriella Montez. I'm here to pick up the key that Troy Bolton left here earlier this morning."

The man did not look up at her. "Is it brass, bronze, silver, or gold?"

Gabriella froze. "Um… I don't know."

"Well you're lucky," He chuckled, opening a drawer behind the counter. "Neither did he."

He produced three small keys, each with a name on them. "Which one is yours, love?"

"That one," She pointed out, the name 'Troy Bolton' written on a piece of masking tape along the body of the key. "That's the one."

"Oh, here you go." He handed it to her, along with a small slip of paper. "He left you a note, too. Not exactly sure why."

"You and me both," She responded, pocketing the key and beginning to read the letter.

_Gabriella,_

_You're closer to me than you think you are. Now that you have the key, you just need to come find the treasure. Luckily for you, you're already on the beach and that's where it is. The treasure map will lead you to the chest. Remember to follow the directions carefully and of course, as always, 'X' marks the spot. I'll see you soon. Love you!_

_- Troy_

"Troy Bolton," Gabriella murmured under her breath as she exited the store. "I have no idea what I'm doing, here."

The winding path on her treasure map told her to pass by a cluster of palm trees, which she saw in the distance. "Okay, big cluster of palm trees. Now what?"

She heard the laughter and shrieks of children playing in the surf and glanced down at the map. That was the next obstacle for her to pass. "Kids playing in the water? Check. Next?"

A huge bundle of large, pointy rocks were in her path and she noticed that they were also on the map, with the trail for her to follow bending around them. She passed by the rocks and was immediately greeted by a large red 'X' on the sand. "Oh my God…"

"You made it!"

Glancing up, Gabriella was greeted by none other than her sly-looking boyfriend, Troy Bolton. "What in the world do you have me doing, here?"

Troy chuckled, handing her a plastic shovel. "'X' marks the spot, doesn't it? Dig, babe. The treasure's yours."

She took the beach toy from his hands and began to dig at the center of the 'X'. A few inches in, her shovel hit something hard and she reached in and produced a good-sized treasure chest. Laughing, she met his eyes again. "Now what do I do?"

"You have the key, don't you?" Troy asked cunningly. "Open it. Everything that's in it is yours."

Reaching into her pocket, she produced the key and stuck it into the hole, fitting it perfectly as she turned it once and the chest popped open. Inside, there were Mardi Gras beaded necklaces of all different colors and gold coins, some fake, some chocolate. She giggled. "Very clever."

"That's not all that's in there," He pushed. "The most important thing is at the bottom."

Eying him suspiciously, Gabriella pawed through the treasure until her fingers hit a small, velvet box. Clasping her hand around it, she lifted it out of the confines of the treasure chest and stared at it, tears filling her eyes. "Oh my God… is this what I think it is?"

Troy nodded, taking the box from her hands and kneeling before her. "Gabriella, I know you probably think I should've done this a million years sooner, but I couldn't think of an interesting way to do it until we took this vacation. I don't want you to have doubted me, because there was never a time when I didn't see you and me together, always and forever. It's always been you, Gabriella, and the decision wasn't whether or not I would propose to you, it was where, when, and _how_ I would propose to you. Believe me, it takes more thought and consideration than you might think."

She giggled slightly and he grinned. "My entire life, I never thought I would be so fortunate as to fall in love with my best friend. The minute I laid eyes on you in the ski lodge in Colorado, I fell in love with you. I may not have known that that was what it was back then, but when we had our first kiss all those years ago, I knew that you were the only person that I wanted to kiss for the rest of my life. You're beautiful and intelligent and absolutely, one hundred percent, perfect."

"So," Troy concluded, lifting the top on the box and revealing the diamond engagement ring. "All mushiness aside, I love you more than you will ever know. Gabriella, will you marry me?"

Gabriella nodded eagerly, laughing slightly through her tears. "Yes!"

Troy grinned and slid the ring onto her finger, immediately bringing his hands to her face to place a kiss on her lips. They kissed until it became necessary to breathe, and even when it did, they went back for more. Wiping the tears from her face, Troy pulled back and admitted, relieved, "I'm so glad that's over."

She laughed. "You didn't need to be nervous, Troy. You know I wouldn't ever dream of saying no to you."

He bit his lip, a habit he'd learned from her. "Not to sound cocky, but that's not what I was afraid of. I was afraid that my plan wouldn't work out or that you would catch on to my scheme."

"Well don't worry about it," She assured him. "I had no idea. Honestly, I thought you were going to propose yesterday, but each time I thought you would, you didn't."

Troy grinned. "That was part of the plan, too. I had to make it look really obvious that I was going to propose and then not do it just so I could throw you off."

She playfully swatted him. "Jerk!"

"Hey!" Troy defended. "I wanted to surprise you. Did I?"

Gabriella nodded, sneaking a glance at her new ring and loving the way it caught the sunlight. "You didn't have to send me on a treasure hunt, though. As creative as it was, I was _so_ confused."

"Well I'm sorry for confusing you," Troy chuckled, pulling Gabriella into his arms as they stared out at the horizon. "But sometimes, I come up with some good ideas."

Gabriella smiled, motioning towards the ring. "Sometimes, you do."


End file.
